MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE STANDARDS COMMITTEE HELD AT COUNTY HALL, NEWPORT, ISLE OF WIGHT ON TUESDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2002 COMMENCING AT 2.00 PM
Present :
Mrs T M Butchers, Mr B Claxton, Mr M J Cunningham, Prof. D Farnham, Mrs J Harding, Mr D Russell, Mrs J Scott
Also present: Mr R
Mew, Mr A Mundy
12.
ELECTION
OF CHAIRMAN
RESOLVED :
THAT Mr B Claxton be elected Chairman of the Committee.
13.
MINUTES
RESOLVED :
THAT the Minutes of the meeting held on 19 November 2002 be confirmed and signed by the Chairman.
14.
STANDARDS
BOARD FOE ENGLAND AND WALES – NATIONAL ISSUES AND LOCAL PROCEDURES
The Monitoring Officer presented his report updating the Committee on the establishment and operation of the Standards Board for England and Wales to date and in particular explaining that the Standards Board could refer matters direct to the Standards Committee but at present the Government had not issued any regulations as to how the Committee should deal with any such referrals. To overcome this the Monitoring Officer suggested the adoption by the Committee of a set of procedures that had been prepared by a nationally recognized expert in this field.
The Committee noted the operation of the Standards Board to date although it was felt that there needed to be a longer time for a true picture of the significance of the complaint statistics to emerge.
With regard to the proposed interim procedures the Committee felt that these might be a useful detailed back up but the Monitoring Officer was asked to prepare a simplified flow chart explanation of the steps – relying on the document attached to the report to back up the flowchart.
RESOLVED :
(a)
THAT
the local procedures for dealing with complaints referred to the Standards
Committee (as attached to the report of the Monitoring Officer) be approved as
an interim arrangement until such time as the regulations under Section 66 are
issued with the provision that the Monitoring Officer prepare a simplified
flowchart explaining the steps in the procedure.
(b)
THAT
the information and analysis relating to allegations received by the Standards
Board for England and Wales be noted.
(c)
THAT
a report be submitted by the Monitoring Officer at a future meeting once the
regulations under section 66 have been issued.
15.
AN
ETHICAL AUDIT FOR THE ISLE OF WIGHT COUNCIL
The Monitoring Officer presented his report suggested that an Ethical Audit be undertaken on the Isle of Wight Council and suggesting a methodology as to how this could be achieved.
The Committee considered that some form of Ethical Audit could be achieved however given the number of other external inspections that the Council had received over the past few years reservations were expressed with the proposed methodology as it was felt that a significant amount of the proposed work had already been covered in the various inspections. Concern was also expressed at the possible level of resources required for the proposed methodology.
The value of undertaking an Ethical Audit was supported and it was felt that a similar approach could be taken to the Parish and Town Councils – although there would be particular resource implications for these smaller Councils.
It was suggested that a task group be established to devise a suggested methodology for a more simplified form of Ethical Audit that could be undertaken with existing resources.
RESOLVED :
THAT a task group comprising the following be established to consider a revised methodology for an ethical audit and that the Monitoring Officer report back to the February meeting of the Standards Committee on the suggestions from the task group:
Mr B Claxton, Mr M Cunningham, Prof. D Farnham, Mrs J Harding, Mr J Lawson, Mr C Mathews and Mr D Russell
16. RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE STANDARDS SUB COMMITTEE ON MEMBER ATTENDANCE
The Committee received the recommendations of the Sub Committee on Member Attendance and circulated at the meeting were the detail of the proposed list of categories for absence and a draft member attendance record sheet. The Committee welcomed the recommendations of the Sub Committee and made some detailed amendments to the proposed member record sheet including the addition of a section to specify the number of training sessions attended by the member during the period in question.
RESOLVED :
THAT the following be approved for recommendation to the Council once the “job Profiles” for members have been agreed:
(i) the publication of the attendance records of Members (including the number of training sessions attended).
(ii) the figures be published twice a year in June and December with 30 day prior cut off and that it be as wide as practicable.
(iii) prior to publication Members be given an opportunity to give their consent to the publication and to add no more than 100 words to explain what other activities they have undertaken during the period in question – any such explanation must not include any political content.
(iv) for each apology given Members be invited to give a “classification” for the apology (ie away on other Council Business, sickness, holidays)
(v) that this process starts early in 2003 once all the details have been agreed.
17. PROPOSED WORK PROGRAMME CALENDAR YEAR 2003
The Committee received a proposed work programme for the Calendar year 2003. Given the decisions earlier in the meeting it was decided that at the February meeting the Committee will consider recommendations on job profiles for members and the proposals for an ethical audit. A standing item of reviewing the work programme was also added.
RESOLVED :
THAT the dates of future meetings and the work programme of the Committee be as follows:
Meeting
|
Agenda Item |
Tuesday 11 February 2003 at 9:30 am |
· Ethical Audit – consider revised methodology · Indemnity issues · Councillors “Job Profiles” · Annual Standards Report · Constitutional Review |
Tuesday 17 June 2003 at 9.30 am |
· Co-option of new Member · Role of Monitoring Officer in handling a complaint · Roles of Members and training needs (possibly subject to delay pending ethical audit report) · Methodology for review of ethics and probity in Parish/Town Council context |
Tuesday 21 October 2003 at 9.30 am |
· Co-option of new Members · Report on review of ethics and probity in Parish/Town Council context. · Work programme for calendar year 2004. |
Standing items |
· Report on Standards Board activity including guidance; statistics; analysis; case reports. · The Committee’s Work Programme |
Other meetings as necessary |
· Allegations referred by the Standards Board for England and Wales for local determination. · Requests for dispensations. · Urgent ethical and probity issues as they arise. |
CHAIRMAN